IPA pitching practice survey reveals procurement is 'not always a menace' to advertisers
Just under half (48 per cent) of agencies taking part in pitches where procurement was involved said their part was both transparent and fair according to the latest IPA survey on the pitching practice.
Though almost half were pleased with the role of procurement in the pitch process 31 per cent of respondents disagreed, and only 34 per cent of respondents agreed with the statement that where there was procurement involved the selection techniques were appropriate with 38 per cent disagreeing.
In pitches where procurement is involved the survey suggests elements of the pitch process do not run as smoothly as they could. 45 per cent of those surveyed said timetables were agreed, set and adhered to during the pitch process when procurement was involved, in comparison to 64 per cent of pitches which ran to time without procurement.
Just under a quarter (24 per cent) indicated that a client’s budget was clear and upfront, compared to 44 per cent where no procurement was involved. 22 per cent said feedback from interim meetings was clearly actionable in pitches involving procurement, compared with 50 per cent where no procurement was involved. The survey does, however, indicate that in two-thirds of cases where procurement was involved their role was clearly identified at the start of the pitch.
When intermediaries were involved in the pitch, 45 per cent of respondents stated that the process was excellent or very good; this fell to 19 per cent where there was no intermediary involved. 40 per cent of respondents described the performance of an intermediary as being excellent or very good, with 10 per cent of cases describing the performance as poor.
“This survey provides a wider view of those involved in the pitch process, be they intermediaries or procurement. It is reassuring to find that the majority do indeed conform to the best practices set out in the joint industry guidelines, while at the same time providing focus for where improvements can be made a priority,” commented IPA finance director, Alex Hunter.
IPA president Ian Priest cites the agency-client relationship as one of the key components from his ADAPT agenda, he added: “Pitches are the start-point for many client- agency relationships. Handled well they should set the scene for long, healthy, productive partnerships between both parties for mutual commercial gain. So adapting this process to ensure best practice is followed and potentially new methods investigated, can only be a win-win.”
The IPA is set to launch the ADAPTATHON series on Thursday 3 October.
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